Shorewood is Great
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1/24/2017
Shorewood is as good as it gets in the Milwaukee Metro. Going to keep things simple with a list of pros and cons.
PROS:
-Amenities (groceries, gyms, restaurants, walgreens, bars, etc.)
-Low crime: Well-funded police department / fire department
-Vintage homes / apartments (Quality construction)
-Near the Lakefront
-Parks (Big Bay, Atwater = both great options)
-Library (a true gem)
-Oak Leaf Trail (gotta love it)
-Proximity to Upper Eastside of Mke (and UWM)
-Proximity to Whitefish Bay (and Bayshore Mall)
-School system (top-notch schools)
CONS:
-Lead service lines for most homes / apts... (Slowly poisoning many residents). Unless you're in a "modern" apartment, you probably have a lead service line - and I recommend a filter or water delivery service to avoid [potential] lead poisoning. At the very least, get your water tested.
-Lead paint in most homes / apts... many disregard lead paint as an issue unless someone "eats paint chips." Most kids are not eating paint chips, nor are adults. A majority of those who end up poisoned by lead are inhaling lead dust from paint - commonly generated from opening and closing windows.
-Lack of "modern" affordable living options: There are "modern" apartments in Shorewood, but they're pretty expensive and impractical for most (e.g. Cornerstone, Ravenna, Lighthorse, Mosaic). Hinders socioeconomic mobility ...
-Noise - Firetrucks and/or Police driving down Oakland Ave / Capitol with sirens blaring at least once every 4 hours... (have been jolted from a slumber multiple times... like a shock to the CNS)
-Parking (absolutely brutal parking regulations and police department very unsympathetic even if they make mistakes with ticketing)
-Round-up spraying: In the the spring/summer/fall, nearly all lawns are laden with "round-up" (containing an array of chemicals, including glyphosate). Most residents are more concerned with their lawns looking good than deleterious long-term health and environmental consequences of their "spraying." It's almost as if residents are vying for who can spray more of the chemicals across their lawn. Un[health]conscious behavior.
Bottom line: I love Shorewood, but the city needs to improve by focusing on one issue at a time... Here are a couple things it should do:
1). Encourage all property owners to eradicate lead water service lines... get the water issue resolved - it's the most important for resident health.
2). Form more effective parking guidelines and/or tracking for Shorewood residents... As a resident, I've been wrongfully ticketed many times. Fighting the ticket is a waste of my time and relatively pointless.
John | Milwaukee, WI